Chair or seat



:0. s. CAI-:SAR Er AL 1,998,186

CHAIR OR SEAT April 16, 1935.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 vFiled June 5o, v195o April 16, 1935. o. s. CAI-:SAR ET Al. 1,998,186

CHAIR 0R SEAT Filed June 3o, 1930 5 sheets-sheet 2 April 16, 1935. Qfs. CAESAR Er AL 1,998,186

v CHAIR OR SEAT I Filed June 50, 1930 3 Sheets-Shee'b 3 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED "STATE-s v1,4,a9ag1a5 y CHAIR 0R SEAT Orville S Caesar, Chicago,`lll., and Clarence Van Derve'er, Michigan City, Ind., assignors to S. Karpen & Bros., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of West Virginia Application June 30, 1930, Serial No. 464,912 Y Y 6 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a chair or seat adapted more especially for use in public conveyances, such as motor busses or the like.

The primary object is Vto provide chairs or settees with improved means for forming an aislechair. f

In a preferred embodiment of the invention vtwo chairs disposed on opposite sides'of'an aisle are equipped with arms'which are adapted tob'e brought into cooperative relation to form an aislechair. Y

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in

whichy Fig. l is a perspective view of alinedchairs or seats, such as may be used in a motor bus; Fig. 2, a broken perspective View, partly in section, illustrating the manner in vwhich adjacent arms of seats bordering on an aisle-are brought into cooperative relation to form 'an aisle-seat; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional View *taken` as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2, this view illustrating an arm swinging about a 'vertical axis; Fig. 4,. a vertical sectional View taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 2, this view illustrating an arm swinging about a horizontal axis; Fig. 5, a section taken'as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and 7,'broken perspective views of the members shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the manner in whichthe backforming arm may be locked in either of two positions; Fig. 8, a broken sectional' view taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. 4, this yview illustrating the mannerin which the seat-forming arm may be locked in vertical position; and Fig. 9, avertical sectional view, showing a modiication.`

In the construction illustrated A and A designate chairs formed on a single base A2; and B and B, chairs formed on a single base B2.

The double chairs or seats .mentioned are in alignment, but separated by an aisle-spaca'designated C. 4

The doubleA chairs are of the same general construction. They are shown as comprising cushions I mounted on the base frames and adjustable backs 2 carried by the base frames. 'I'he backs are supported on pivots 3 and equipped with adjusting devices 4, enabling the backs to be adjusted rearwardly and forwardly, as desired. No novelty is claimed for the mechanism `for effecting adjustment of the backs.

The chairs A and B which border on the aisle are equipped, respectively, with arms 5 and 6 which are adapted to be brought into the relation shown in Fig. 2, to form an aisle-chair between the chairs A and B'.

The arms 5 swings about a vertical axis and alfords a back for the aisle-chair; andthe arm 6 swings about a horizontal axis and forms aseat for the aisle-chair. v

The baseframe A2 is equipped with ends I (on shown) between which the cushions of the seats are. interposed, the cushions 'rising somewhat above thel ends as shownin Fig. 3. -The endl shown in Fig. 3 is equipped at its rear end with a pivot-standard 'Ia in whichy is journalled a vertical pivot-rod 8 having flxedly secured to it supporting'arms 8a which carry the back-'forming anni f- 'Y fl The standard l2 is equipped with Vpivot-lugs 9 having perforations 92 whichreceived the pivotrod 8. The lugs` 9 are provided on their upper sides with locking-notchesvor socketsl 92, either one of which is adapted to receive the lockinglug r8b vwith which Vthe correspondingfsupporting arm 8a is provided-at its hinged-portion. f

IThe notches 92 are in suchjposition Vthat the back-forming chair arm 5 will'y be locked either in the position shown in 2er in the position shown in Fig. 3, depending 'uponVA whether the member 5 is being used as a chair-arm or 'as a 25 back-forming member. Y

The lower end of the pivot-rod 8 bearsa'g'ainst the short arm of a lever I0 which is carried by a pivot II),a mounted on the end member 1. 'Ihe lever I0 is equipped with a treadle-portion 10b and is normally held lin the position shown in'Fig'. 3 by a spring I I. n VWhen itis desired to swing the back-'forming member5, it may be lifted from the position shown inA Fig. 3 by means of the lever I0, thus permitting the swinging action to be effected.

The base frame B2 is equipped with end-members I2 (one shown). The memberIZ'adjacefnt the aisle is equipped with pivot lugs I22which support'pivots |22. fThe'chair arm 6 is carried by supporting arms I3 which have their baseportions mounted on the pivots I2. v a

As shown in Fig. 8, oneof the arms I3'has -its pivot portion equipped with a projection, or stop, I3a adapted to be engaged by a locking-member I4 carried by a vertical plunger |42 slidably connected with the end member I2 of the base frame B2. A spring I5 interposed between the lockingmember I4 and guide-lug I6 serves to actuate the plunger. 50

When desired, the locking-member I4 may be retracted through the medium of the plunger |42, which is equipped at its lower end with a treadle |42, thus permitting the arm 6 to be dropped to a horizontal position across the aisle, in which posi- 5 CII tion the arms I3 rest upon a shoulder I1 at the upper end of the end-member I2.

The members 5 and 6 may be covered with cushion-pads 5a and 6a. That is, these members may be upholstered in some simple way.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, the pedalcontrolled locking device for the arm 5 is dispensed with. In this case, the arm 5 swings about a vertical pivot 5xi of any desired construction; and a vertically movable locking bolt I8, mounted in a guide or keeper I9, is employed for securing the member 5 in the position in which it serves as an arm for the chair. Thus, the bolt I8 engages a perforation or socket with which the end-member 'I is provided. This is a simple form of locking device, rendering unnecessary the vertical move-A ment of the arm provided for in the construction shown in Fig. 3. In the modification, no means is provided for locking the member 5 in the back-forming position. The pivotal connections may be such, of course as to afford a stop which limits the rearward swing of the arm.

The gist of the invention lies in providing two chairs which border on an aisle-space with coacting convertible armsV-one of which arms can be dropped to horizontal position lto form a seatmember, andthe other of which can be moved or swung to a transverse vertical plane to serve as a back-member.

It will be understood that the improvement permits the chair-arms 5 andv 6 to bemoved from the arm-rest position and 4placed in position to form with the main chairs a continuous five, seat arrangement. v I

The foregoing detailed descriptionk is given. for clearness of understanding only, and nounnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended Aclaims Yshould. be construed .as broadly as permissible, in view Iof the prior art.V

What we regard as new, and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is.: l Y

1. A chair comprising a seat and back, said seat equipped with end-memberV having a pivot-.standard rising therefrom; an arm equipped with a vertically movable pivotjournalled in said standard; a pedal lever adapted to lift said pivot andthe arm carried thereby; and interlocking connections between` the Avpivot portion of said arm and ysaid standard.

2. A chair vcomprisinga seat-frame equipped with a, horizontalpivot; a convertible arm connected with said pivotfand adapted lto .drop to horizontal position, ,said arm having a projecting locking member; anda spring-actuated locking member `connected with the frame .of said chair and normally securing saidarm vin .standing position. y 4

3. A chair as specied in claim 2 characterized by the locking -member of said arm having acamsurface to depress .the spring-actuated locking member, whereby said .arm may be swung to a vertical standing position withoutthe Vnecessity of manual retraction of said spring-actuated locking member.

4. In combination: a pair of aligned seats spaced apart to provide an aisle therebetween, said seats being provided adjacent their ends nearest the aisle with movably mounted armrests sufficiently long to substantially bridge the aisle when swung thereacross, frame-means supporting "said seats and said arm-rests, one of said arm-rests having substantially horizontal pivotal connections at its lower portion with said frame-means on one side of the aisle and adapted to drop into position across the aisle to provide a seat for an aisle chair, and the other armrest having at its rear portion substantially vertical' pivotal connections with the said framemeans on the Vother side of the aisle and pervrnitting the second mentioned arm-rest to be swung to a. transverse plane back of said aisle seat to provide a back for said aisle seat.

5; In combination: a pair of aligned seats spaced apart to provide an aisle therebetween;

convertible arm-rests, respectively, for the ad jacent sides of said seats and normally occupying standing positions at opposite sides of said A aisle; frame-rneans supporting said seats and said arm-rests; and connecting-devices between saidframe-means and arm-rests serving to sup, port said arm-rests normally inl arm-supporting position, one of said connecting-devices providing a substantially horizontal pivotal axis whereby the corresponding arm-rest may be dropped to horizontal position substantially bridging the aisle-space to provide 4a seat-member foran aisle-.seat andthe other of said connecting-devices v,providing a substantially vertical axis whereby Ithe, other arm-rest may be swung to a transverse standing position substantially above thev rear edge of -sad seat-member to form a back-rest for the aisle-seat.

. 6. In combination, a pair of aligned chairs spaced -apart to provide an aisle therebetween, said chairs having their ends adjacent the aisle equipped with movably mounted arm-rests sufficiently long to substantially bridge the aisle when swungthereacross, one of said ann-rests having horizontal pivotal connections at its lower portion with one ofv said chairs and adapted to be dropped into position across the aisle to provide a seatfor anV aisle-chair, and the other armrest having at its rear portion vertical pivotal connections with the other chair and permitting the second-mentioned ,arm-rest to be swung to a transverse plane back of said seat to provide a back for said aisle-chair, said second-mentioned arm-rest being also vertically movable and equipped with an interlock-memberwhich coacts with interlock-members on the corresponding chair, `whereby said arm-rest is xedly held in either position of adjustment.

ORVILLE S. CAESAR. CLARENCE A. VAN DERVEER'. 

